When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Several Alan Turing papers, including "On Computable Numbers," are going to auction in June. | ...

A mathematical model of computation. Named after English scientist Alan Turing, a Turing machine is a finite state machine that reads a tape divided into cells. The Turing machine examines the symbol ...

Detail of a rebuilt Colossus computer at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park. The model is similar to the Mark II, on which the first recorded computer music was played. (photo by Alan ...

Mathematician Alan Turing invented an imaginary computer known as the Turing Machine; in an age before computers, he explored the concept of what it meant to be computable, creating the field of ...